Minnesota Arrest Records Search

How to Look Up Criminal Records in Minnesota

Minnesota’s state law enforcement government agency is in charge of criminal histories including arrest records. Criminal records stay active in their system for 15 years after completion of the sentence. Anyone requesting an arrest record must pay a $15 fee per file and can search using name and date of birth. The state has a consent form on their website if they needed to get a copy of someone else’s.

What Information Does Minnesota Criminal Records Report Include?

Minnesota arrest records will contain basic information like name, age, date of birth, address, phone, gender, race, height weight, fingerprints and sometimes a mug shot. Additionally arrests, the date, and place of arrest, warrants, charges, and convictions will be on there too. Often reports will include driving records and accident history as well. Typically, the name of the officer who arrested the person, the arresting agency, and the charges filed will also show up.

Minnesota Police Reports and Mugshots

Are Minnesota Police Reports Public Record?

Not only are police reports in Minnesota public records, but the individual police departments also make them readily available to anyone to inspect. According to the Minnesota Government Data Practices Act, Minnesota Statutes, Chapter 13, they do not charge a fee to let someone review paper documents or body camera data. However, if you do want a printed or electronic copy, you will have to pay a fee.

When requesting, you will need a bit of information such as:

• Case number (if you have it).
• The location of the incident.
• The date of the incident.
• A description of the event.
• Names of people involved.

You must also specifically state what you want to review or receive copies of. Some of the options include: “Accident Report, Police Incident Report, Calls for Service, Squad Camera Video, Street Camera Video, Personnel Files, Photos, 911 Incident Detail Report, Interview Audiotape, Employee Payroll Record, Statistical Data, etc.”

You can request police reports in person at any of the local police departments in Minnesota.

Minnesota Mugshots

Mugshots are police photos taken of suspects and convicted criminals. They are used by investigators, witnesses, and even victims to identify perpetrators. The use of mugshots began in the 1800s after French policeman Alphonse Bertillon started using them during the booking process. A mugshot consists of two angles (front and side views) attached to form one image.

Minnesota mugshots are also readily available to the general public. Not all police station locations supply them, but they do offer up information on who you can contact to get a copy. Typically, the local jails handle this type of request. Mugshots of individuals arrested in Minnesota can also be found on news sites, media outlets, and public record repositories online.

Minnesota Arrest Booking Process

When someone is arrested in Minnesota, they are taken to the local county jail or detention center and booked into the law enforcement system. The St. Paul police department lays out their booking process in great detail on their website. Some of the things that will typically happen are:

• Police perform a full background check on the suspect.
• They will also take down basic information like name, address, date of birth, etc.
• Police will also conduct a driver’s license background check.
• Law officers will fingerprint and photograph (mugshots) the person.
• They will be held in a jail cell or holding room until his or her hearing.

The courts close at 4 p.m. so no one will see a judge after that time. They will remain in jail until the next day.

Violent Crime Rates for the last 10 years

The crime rate has increased over the past decade in Minnesota, going from 0 crimes in 2006 to 11,762 by 9% higher than it was back in 2006. The largest percentage of violent crimes falls into the Aggravated Assault category, with Revised Rape being the least popular crime in the state.

Arrest Law

A peace officer of the state can arrest someone with a valid, legal arrest warrant, but there are also other instances when they can arrest someone without a warrant. One of those times is when a public offense is committed in the presence of the officer. When someone commits a felony, not in the presence of an officer is another. When an officer is aware of a felony and has reasonable cause to believe a person committed it, they can arrest them for it. Other instances are suspicion of domestic abuse, serious misdemeanors, and violation of parole.

The Arrest Rate in Minnesota

For 2017, 128,172 total adult were arrested in MN. There were also 21,864 juvenile arrests for that year. Of the total arrests, 913 were for rape, 867 for robbery, 4,310 for aggravated assault, 2,868 for burglaries, 27,022 for larceny, and 1,639 were for stolen vehicles. During 2017, 10,633 of the crimes committed were perpetrated by men and the rest by women.

State Offender and Victim Age Group Statistics

Most of the violent crime offenders in Minnesota were 20-29 .

Minnesota Arrest Records by Type of Crime

The popular arrests for 2017 in Minnesota was for All Other Offenses (except traffic) - 32,165, the same popularity of the arrest type was seen in Alabama, Alaska, and Arizona. The least popularity had Embezzlement arrests - with only 24 crimes a year.